Dr. Zimbardo became world famous as a result of his startling “Stanford Prison Experiment,” in which he randomly assigned psychologically normal college students to play the role of either prisoners or guards. Within a few days the two groups became more and more violent with each other – so much so that it became necessary to stop the experiment in 6 days instead of the planned 14 days.

In this intriguing conversation we review the startling details of this study. Zimbardo has conducted research for some years on deindividuation, vandalism and dehumanization that illustrated the ease with which ordinary people can be led to engage in anti-social acts by putting them in situations where they felt anonymous, or they could perceive of others in ways that made them less than human, as enemies or objects. In a world where polarization, conflict, and violence are becoming more dangerous it is crucial that we understand certain truths about ourselves.

We are incompletely evolved mammals, and along with our appendix and coccyx we have a vestigial bias towards negativity and violence. What to do? Dr. Zimbardo describes his “Heroic Imagination” Project, which has the goal of training people how to be “heroes” around the globe.

The HIP education programs prepare heroes in training for everyday heroic action. This is achieved by educating participants directly about their own psychology and teaching how they can master social and situational forces as well as their automatic human tendencies in order to act in ways that are kind, prosocial, and even heroic.

You will also hear a portion of Dr. Miller’s program, Awakening The Leader Within.

The Lucifer Effect explains how—and the myriad reasons why—we are all susceptible to the lure of “the dark side.” Drawing on examples from history as well as his own trailblazing research, Zimbardo details how situational forces and group dynamics can work in concert to make monsters out of decent men and women.

Here, for the first time and in detail, Zimbardo tells the full story of the Stanford Prison Experiment, the landmark study in which a group of college-student volunteers was randomly divided into “guards” and “inmates” and then placed in a mock prison environment. Within a week the study was abandoned, as ordinary college students were transformed into either brutal, sadistic guards or emotionally broken prisoners. Buy it here.

Conversations

Follow Dr. Miller

About Healing Times Radio: Conversations with Extraordinary People

Welcome to Healing Times Radio. Since being a part of the launching of the holistic approach to healing and the field of Holistic Medicine 40 years ago it has been Dr. Miller’s passion to seek out other thought leaders – the movers and shapers who could see the disaster looming for our world and were setting about crafting the tools that would help transform the world. Those few who, like Dr. Miller, were in the medical and psychological field could see the enormous waste in our health care system, the crisis it was leading to. The tools they developed – guided imagery, mindfulness, meditation, wellness, nutritional medicine, and physical exercise physiology – are now transforming mainstream medicine.

Those in other fields (organizational development, sociobiology, ecology, climatology, leadership) were developing their respective instruments and tools (e.g., The World Cafe, Gather The Women, Peak Moment TV, People’s Pharmacy) His relationships with this extraordinary cadre have developed through the decades, as they supported one another in the evolution of their collective intelligence and collective wisdom.

On Conversations With Extraordinary People, you will experience Dr. Miller in Heart-to-Heart conversations with his remarkable guests as they explore the challenges to health and sustainability we face personally, collectively, globally. You will be treated to an enlightening intellectual experience and receive powerful, practical tools to:

Reclaim your inherent personal wisdom

Use the power of your mind to heal your body

Harness the energy of stress and apply it to your true goals in life

Nurture and heal your relationships and your planet

Listen Anytime

About the Host

Emmett Miller MD is a physician, author, poet, musician, and master storyteller whose multicultural heritage has given him a unique social, medical, and spiritual perspective. A pioneer in Mind-Body Medicine, he fused the tools of meditation, hypnosis, prayer, and autosuggestion to form Guided Imagery – a powerful tool for self-healing and peak performance. Turning his attention to the larger sphere, he now applies those principles to the glaring community and cultural imbalances and the planetary illness they are causing. His examination, diagnosis, and prescription are explored in his latest book, Our Culture on the Couch: Seven Steps to Global Healing, Dr. Miller’s mission is to help us heal ourselves so that we can in turn, heal our planet.

Material on this web site is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. Do not use the information on this web site for diagnosing or treating any illness or disease, or as a prescription for any medication or other treatment.

If you are having trouble viewing our website, please update your browser to the latest version.